Trolling spoon



Dec. 22, 1936. J. H. sAARlNEN TROLLING SPOON Filed Jan. 20, 1936 Q5.Jzggif) @.61 9.71

me/who@ JOhnHAS'aa/L'nen www Patented Dec. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENTFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a trolling spoon, and has for its object toprovide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth a spoon of the classreferred to formed substantially throughout its lengthwise center with asubstantially endless reinforcing means therefor to reduce the bendingthereof to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a spoon of the class referred to whereby, whenused the relections therefrom are small, short and quick and imitate asclose as possible the reflections caused by the scales of a bait iishwhich have a tendency to attract the fish sought to be caught.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a trolling spoon so formed with offset surfacesfor materially reducing reections of the light and sun resulting in lesstendency to scare fish when the spoon is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a trolling spoon so formed for interrupting theplane surfaces thereof as much as possible in keeping with the fishattracting efficiency of the spoon.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a trolling spoon which is simple in itsconstruction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, thoroughlyefficient in its use, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects which may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists of such parts and such combination of parts as willbe more specifically described and are as illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationsmay be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the spoon,

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 Figure l, and

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are respectively transverse sectional views,upon an enlarged scale on lines 3 3, 4 4, 5 5, 6 6, and 'I 'I Figure 1.

The spoon comprises a metallic plate or body I of the desired length andthickness and may be formed from any suitable highly polished or platedmetallic material.V The plate I is of ovoidal contour in plan and ofogee curvature in lengthwise section. The follower end portion of theplate is of greater width than the leading end portion thereof. Theleading and follower end edges 3, 2 respectively of the plate arearranged upon oppositely disposed curves and with the edge 2 being upona greater arc than the edge 3.

The plate I has spaced lengthwise portions of its upper face depressedto form a pair of oppositely disposed grooves d, 5 of like form. Thegrooves are arranged in spaced relation with respect to the longitudinalmedian and the side edges 6 of plate I. Each of said grooves graduallyincreases in depth from each end to its transverse center. The groovesLl, 5 are of segmented contour and each extends from a point forwardlyof to a point rearwardly of the transverse median of plate I. Thedepressed portions of the plate I which provide the grooves 4, 5 formthe lower face of the plate I with a pair of spaced oppositely disposdridges 'l of segmental contour. The depressed portions of the plate I,which provide the grooves Il, 5 further form the upper face, centrallythereof with a ridge 8 formed of a pair of oppositely disposed flaredstretches S, I0. The depressed portions of the plate I which provide thegrooves l5, 5 and ridges l, 3 form the lowel` face of the plate I, atits lengthwise center with a groove IU of a contour corresponding tothat of ridge 8. At the follower end of the ridge 8 the upper face ofplate I is provided with a depressed portion II forming a recess I2. Thetop of ridge 8 intermediate its ends is provided with an upset part I3which forms the lower face of the plate I with a recess I4. The recessesi2, ifi are intersected by the longitudinal median of the plate.

The upper face of the follower end portion of the plate i is providedwith a series of depressed portions i5 disposed radially with respect tothe recess I2 and which form the upper face of plate I with a series ofspaced grooves I6 and spaced ridges indicated at il, i3, and I9. Thegrooves I6 are alternately disposed with respect to the said ridges I l,I5, and E9. The depressed portions I5 form the lower face of the plate Iwith spaced grooves 26 and spaced ridges 2i which are alternatelydisposed with respect to the grooves 26. The upper and lower faces ofplate I are indicated at 25, 26 respectively.

The upper face of the leading end portion of the plate I is formed withupstanding portions 28, 29, 36 and depressed portions Si, 32. Theportion 3| is arranged between the portions 28, 29, and the portion 32between the portions 29 and 36. The portions 28, 29 and 36 provide theupper face of the plate I with ridges 33, 34 and S5. The depressedportions 3i, 32 form the upper face of the plate I with grooves 36 and3l. The upstanding portions 28, 29, and 36 forni the lower face of theplate I with grooves 38, 39 and d6. The groove 35 is arranged betweenthe ridges 53, 36. The groove 3l is arranged between the ridges 34 and35. The ridge Si is arranged between the grooves 39, 6. The ridge 33,groove 36, groove 3l and ridge 35 are radially disposed with respect tothe leading end of the ridge 8. The ridges 3|, 32 and grooves 3S and 46are disposed in the same manner as the ridge 33, groove 35, groove 3land ridge 35 respectively.

The ridge I3 is arranged in endwise alignment with respect to thefollower end of ridge 8. The

ridge 3e is disposed in endwise alignment with respect to the leadingend of the ridge 8. The ridges 8, i8, and 3d are intersected lengthwiseby the longitudinal median of the plate l. The ridges 8, i8, and 3d forma substantially endless reinforcing means substantially throughout thelongitudinal center of plate l whereby the strength of the latter isincreased to prevent the bending thereof transversely.

The plate l in proximity to its follower edge 2 is formed with anopening tl for the passage of a loop 4-2 for connecting a hook d3 to thespoon. The plate i in proximity to its leading edge 3 is formed with anopening @Il for the passage of a loop l5 for connecting to the spoon acoupling strength of the latter is increased to prevent the shown.

The portions of the plate l which pro-vide the recesses i2, le are forthe purpose of interrupting the plane surface of plate l as much aspossible in keeping with the fish attracting eiiciency of the spoon.

The ridges at the leading end portionfof the plate are oppositelydisposed with respect to the ridges at the follower end portion of theplate.

The plate l is constructed in a manner as referred to for eliminating toa minimum straight surfaces. Straight surfaces cause the plate to actmuch like a mirror, and it is obvious that when a spoon having a largeamount of straight surfaces is operated in clear water, that thereflecticns of the light or sun are very large and in some instancesseveral square feet in area, which has a tendency to scare the fishaway, more especially when a large area of water is suddenly floodedwith light caused by the reflection. By reducing straight surfaces to aminimum, as is provided by a spoon made in accordance with thisinvention, it overcomes the objections heretoforepointed out as thereflections caused by the spoon are small, short and with thereflections such which will imitate as close as possible the reflectionscaused by the scales of a bait sh. This small, quick and shortreflection has a tendency to attract the sh sought to be caught.

What I claim is:

l. In a trolling spoon, a plate of substantially ovoidal contour, saidplate being provided on one of its faces between its longitudinal medianand its side edges with a pair of oppositely disposed segmental ridgeslengthwise thereof and on its other face between said median and sideedges with a pair of oppositely disposed segmental grooves lengthwisethereof, said plate being formed on the said other face between saidgroovesV with a central ridge lengthwise thereof, said plate beingformed on the said other face with a set of radially disposed ridges atits follower end portion and on the said other face with a set ofradially disposed ridges at its leading end portion and said plate beingformed with a pair of recesses one of which being located at one end ofsaid central ridge and opening at the rst mentioned face of the plateand the other of which being arranged in and intermediate the ends ofsaid central ridge.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 having said central ridgeformed with a pair of oppositely ared terminal portions, and the numberof the ridges in the follower end portion of the plate being greaterthan the number of ridges in the leading end portion of the plate.

3. In a trolling spoon a plate of substantially ovoidal contour in plan'and of substantial o-gee curvature in longitudinal section, said platebeing formed on one face between its longitudinal median and its sideedges with a pair of spaced oppositely disposed segmental-shaped ridgesand on itsotli-er face with a pair of oppositely disposed A spacedsegmental-shaped grooves, said plate being formed on'one face with acentral groove arranged between said pair of ridges and on its otherface with a central ridge positioned between said pair of grooves, saidridges and grooves extending lengthwise of and having their ends spacedfrom the ends of said plate.

4. In a trolling spoon a plate of substantiallyV between said pair ofgrooves, said ridges andl grooves extending lengthwise of and havingtheir ends spaced from the ends of said plate, said cen tral ridge andcentral groove being oppositely flared.

5. In a trolling spoon, a plate of substantially ovoidal contour in planand of substantially o-gee curvature in longitudinal section, said platebe` ing formed on one face between its longitudinal median and its sideedges with a pair of spaced oppositely disposed segmental-shaped ridgesand on its other face with a pair of oppositely disposed spacedsegmental-shaped grooves, said plate being formed on one face with acentral groove arranged between said pair of ridges and on its otherface with a central ridge positioned between said pair of grooves, saidridges and grooves extending lengthwise of and having their ends spacedfrom the ends of said plate, said central ridge and central groove beingoppositely iiared, said central ridge in its top and intermediate itsends being formed with a recess, and said plate being formed with'arecess at one end of said central groove.

6. In a trolling spoon, a plate of substantially ovoidal contour in planand of substantially o-gee curvature in longitudinal section, said platebeing formed on one face between its longitudinal median and its sideedges with a pair of spaced oppositely disposed segmental-shaped ridgesand on its other face with a pair of oppositely disposed spaoedsegmental-shaped grooves, said plate being formed on one face with acentral groove arranged betweenY saidrpair of ridges and on its otherface with a central ridge positioned between said pair of grooves, saidridges and grooves extending lengthwise of and havingxtlfleir endsspaced from the ends of said plate, said cen# tral ridge and centralgroove being oppositely ared, and saidv plate being formed with yapairof oppositely vdisposed sets ofV ridges extending radially from theends of said central ridge and a pair of oppositely disposed sets ofgrooves exe, tending ,radially from thefends of said central groove. Y xv v JOI-IN I-I. SAARINEN.

